Law Handbook

Law roleplay within Fairmont exists to facilitate story, conflict, investigation, and meaningful consequences. As a lawman, your role is not to “win” roleplay, but to contribute to the larger narrative of Fairmont’s story. Law characters are expected to uphold immersive, fair, and consistent roleplay. Every arrest, investigation, gunfight, and conversation should create opportunities for further roleplay for both civilians and criminals alike.

Lawmen must follow proper escalation and procedure whenever possible. Arrests, searches, and use of force should be justified through clear in-character reasoning and observable actions. Use of lethal force must be proportionate to the threat presented. Drawing a weapon or firing should be a last resort unless there is an immediate and credible danger to life.

Law characters must respect FearRP and NVL expectations just as civilians and criminals do. Being law does not grant immunity from danger, ambushes, or consequences. Above all, law roleplay should prioritize investigation, communication, and storytelling over rapid resolutions or excessive force.

Core Principles

As a law character, one must understand that law puts themselves in danger the moment they put the badge on their chest. There is a risk to playing a law character and that should be recognized by you, the player. You must understand the expectation that comes with playing a law character, where the objective is to put yourself in front of the civilians to defend them from crime and danger.

When you roleplay as law, you need to prioritize story first. Every law action should generate roleplay for others. This includes during scenes where you prioritize de-escalation over force. Law should have a presence and a dialogue with both criminals and civilians. Investigation should be prioritized over quick, hot-headed violence. Law’s role in the server exists to challenge crime and criminals, not eliminate it. Arrests, injuries, and deaths should feel earned and impactful.

When conflict arises in roleplay, it should be done so naturally. Good law roleplay is not only the action-packed moments, but also helping your day-to-day civilian with their troubles. You may find yourself creating investigations that will lead to court cases and connections to criminals you never expected in the first place, which is why even the small law interactions matter. Starting small will also help you build tension over time.

As a lawman, it is your duty to create roleplay for others, especially criminals. Keep in mind that when you put criminals in the system and send them to prison, you hold the power over another player and because you hold such power you must find ways to make it meaningful for the criminal whom you’ve apprehended. Good lawman roleplay encourages fun and interactive scenes, both in and out of prison.

There must be a balance between law and outlaw, with criminals allowed the opportunity to operate, plan, negotiate, hide evidence, escape, and create follow-up roleplay. Law should be expected to fail sometimes as repeated instant captures, perfect ambushes, or omniscient tracking will harm RP. In law RP, you may get more W’s when you take more L’s. Law’s success should come from investigation, patience, coordination, and long-term pressure, not brute force.

Jurisdiction & Authority

The law’s authority applies fully within all of Fairmont (the US). The law of Fairmont does not apply to Guarma & Mexico. Law cannot legally pursue characters in Mexico or Guarma as it is not their jurisdiction. Guarma & Mexico are self-governed by its own people. However, bounty hunters may chase criminals across Guarma and Mexico if they have been given a handbill from the Chief Marshal. Upon capturing a criminal (dead or alive depending on the bounty or arrest warrant), the law may book and fine the criminal to the full extent of the law under the Fairmont Penal Code provided it is within the borders of Fairmont.

Pursuits & Fleeing Suspects

Pursuits should create tension and roleplay without becoming reckless chases where preservation of life is forgotten.

When a suspect flees, law may pursue when there is reasonable IC justification to do so. Officers should consider the seriousness of the suspected crime, danger to civilians, terrain, number of available officers, and risk involved before continuing a pursuit. Law should not treat every fleeing suspect as justification for lethal force.

Simply running or riding away from law does not automatically constitute an immediate threat to life.

Officers should attempt to:

• Give clear commands to stop

• Maintain communication with other officers

• Coordinate rather than swarm the suspect

• Avoid unnecessarily endangering civilians

• Disengage when continuing the pursuit would create unreasonable danger

Law is permitted to lose suspects. A successful escape can create future investigations, warrants, manhunts, witness interviews, and other long-term roleplay.

Border Pursuits

Fairmont law authority ends at the borders of Fairmont. Law officers may pursue suspects toward Mexico or other foreign territories but must end their lawful pursuit once the suspect successfully crosses the border. Crossing the border does not remove the suspect's crimes or wanted status within Fairmont. Law may instead pursue alternative avenues such as warrants, handbills, bounty hunters, informants, or waiting for the suspect to return to Fairmont.

Handbills

Handbills are legal documents handed out by the Chief Marshal that act as a bounty poster with information on wanted criminals, dead or alive. These documents are not legally bound to one person, but rather whoever holds the handbill is within their right to chase the bounty. These legal documents are handed to those who are deemed capable and experienced enough to chase a bounty.

Warrants exist to support investigative roleplay and provide law with the legal authority to make arrests or conduct searches when sufficient evidence has been gathered. Warrants should represent the progression of an investigation rather than be used as a shortcut to bypass roleplay.

Law should make a reasonable effort to gather evidence before requesting a warrant. Witness testimony, physical evidence, documented observations, confessions, photographs, and information gathered throughout an investigation may all contribute toward establishing sufficient cause.

Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant authorizes law to locate and arrest an individual for crimes supported by an investigation.

An arrest warrant should clearly identify:

• The individual being sought

• The suspected charges

• A brief explanation of the evidence supporting the warrant

• The officer or investigator requesting the warrant

• The authority approving the warrant
  

An arrest warrant does not give law unrestricted permission to search unrelated individuals or properties belonging to the suspect.

Search Warrants

A search warrant authorizes law to search a specific property or location when there is reasonable evidence connecting that location to a crime.

Search warrants must identify the property or location being searched and the general purpose of the search. A warrant for one property does not automatically authorize law to search every property belonging to the suspect.

Search warrants should be specific rather than broad fishing expeditions.

Property searches should create roleplay whenever possible. If circumstances allow, the owner or occupant should be present during the search and given the opportunity to participate in the scene.

Emergency Circumstances

Law may act without a warrant when there is an immediate and credible danger to life or when officers directly witness an ongoing serious crime requiring immediate intervention.

Emergency circumstances should not be used as an excuse to bypass investigations or warrant procedures when there is sufficient time to obtain proper authorization.

Arrest Standards

An arrest must be supported by reasonable IC cause, such as witness statements, physical evidence, confessions, and direct observation of a crime. Mass arrests or convenience arrests without investigation are prohibited without a proper IC reason. Arrests should always be roleplayed clearly and allow for suspects to speak and react to the situation they are in.

Prisoners are RP participants and should be treated as such. They should receive a conversation and proper roleplay depending on if they are being interrogated, transported, and so forth.

Standard arrests should include:

• Identification of charges

• Searching

• Confiscation

• Transport

• Processing

Allow suspects opportunities to:

• speak

• resist verbally

• negotiate

• react emotionally
  

Use of Force Ladder

Force must always be proportional to the threat presented. Below is an example of how force should be used by law:

1. Presence & Verbal Commands

   • Identification

   • Clear instructions

   • Opportunity to comply

2. Control & Detainment

   • Physical restraint

   • Non-lethal force where appropriate

3. Lethal Force

   • Only justified when there is an immediate threat to life

   • Shooting to kill is not the default response

   • If lethal force must be used, law should focus on getting the altercation outside of town to prevent and minimize the amount of civilian casualties

Search Standards

When searching a suspect, there must always be clear justification behind the searching. A probable cause is generally needed, for example if they have visible weapons, contraband, or witness information (local alert pings) that justifies the searching. Fishing expeditions or blanket searches are not allowed. Appearance and association alone is not sufficient enough to search someone. Property searches should be rare, deliberate, and story-driven and must have the detainee present so they may open the doors to the property for law.

Prisoners & Transport

When a criminal has been apprehended, it is important that fun roleplay is given to the criminal. As mentioned before, as law, you hold power over another player when you book them in and fine them and ultimately send them to prison (if relevant to their crime). As such, scenes revolving law and criminals should be meaningful and offer the prisoners the opportunity for dialogue, tension, and even rescue attempts during transport scenes. You may roleplay as the good cop or the bad cop if you wish, but execution-style behavior or unnecessary brutality that does not make sense IC is prohibited.

Hostages, Civilians, & NVL

Hostage and civilian life must always be preserved during altercation between law and criminals and should always be treated as a priority. Law officers should always attempt to negotiate first, preserve life, and avoid reckless escalations. Hostage situations are meant to be storytelling opportunities for everyone involved in the scene.

In tandem of preserving hostage and civilian life, law characters must value their lives as much as civilians do. Reckless charges, solo rushes, or ready-to-die heroics are not acceptable. Law officers are not expendable and should be treated as valuable human lives. Injuries should be roleplayed seriously and consistently.

Conduct & Accountability

As an officer of the law, you are held to a higher standard of roleplay, restraint, and professionalism due to the power you have over other players. Your role exists to facilitate roleplay for everyone around you, both criminal and civilian. If you wish to portray a lawman that abuses their authority, be prepared to face IC consequences. However, repeated poor judgement may lead to OOC review. If you are unsure about your roleplay, it is advised to slow down and even open a ticket for roleplay guidance from the staff team.

Scene Preservation

Law officers are expected to preserve roleplay scenes whenever possible. Officers should avoid rushing investigations or immediately ending scenes that may create ongoing roleplay opportunities. Crime scenes, shootouts, public disturbances, and arrests should be treated as opportunities for witnesses, doctors, journalists, civilians, and criminals alike to contribute to the narrative when possible. Law should seek to extend roleplay naturally rather than conclude it as quickly as possible.

However, law is responsible for encouraging civilians to leave town if possible during a major scene (i.e. a bank robbery/hostage situation) to prevent bubbling/dust issues within the server as there can only be up to 32 players in one area.

Corruption RP

Corruption roleplay can be a fun narrative arc to set your law character on, however, it should be noted that corruption roleplay is not the default for law characters. It is a narrative arc, not a permanent state or a mechanical advantage. When done correctly, corruption should add tension, moral ambiguity, and long-term consequences to the world. It should always serve story first.

Corruption is a gradual, moral compromise and an abuse of discretion. A good corruption arc looks like secretive deals, selective law enforcement, and turning a blind eye to crime or being bribed to allow criminals to continue their nefarious deeds. However, it is important to remember that a corruption arc is not an excuse for open criminal gang leadership, a justification for ignoring standard operating procedure, or a shortcut to wealth, power, or PvP dominance. You are not free or immune from consequences as a corrupt law official.

If your corruption removes risk, it is no longer roleplay; it is exploitation. Your arc must allow for things like details, suspicion, investigation, and an eventual exposure or collapse of your character. You should be prepared for the fact that your character will be subject to internal investigations, arrests, imprisonment, forced resignation, and even character death or retirement. As a corrupt officer, you may not prevent investigations indefinitely, block all consequence, or protect a criminal faction permanently. A proper amount of details should also be left behind to point towards tampering of evidence and similarly.

Staff reserve the right to intervene if a corruption arc may harm long-term roleplay. Major corruption arcs require staff approval. Below is a description of Minor Corruption vs Major Corruption.

Minor Corruption — No Staff Ticket Required

These are actions that compromise an officer's integrity but do not fundamentally turn their law position into a tool for a criminal organization or major criminal enterprise.

Examples of Minor Corruption:

• Accepting small bribes to overlook petty crimes.

• Letting someone off with a warning because they are a friend.

• Deliberately issuing a smaller fine or charge than someone deserves.

• Looking the other way over minor contraband.

• Ignoring public drunkenness, petty theft, minor fights, or similar low-level offenses.

• Giving a friend or criminal contact a vague warning such as "I'd stay out of Valentine tonight."

• Trading non-critical information or rumors.

• Exchanging small favors with criminals.

• Showing favoritism toward particular businesses, families, or individuals.

• Selectively enforcing petty laws.

• Pretending not to notice a minor offense.

• Developing an informant relationship that becomes ethically questionable.
  
  

The important thing is that these characters are still fundamentally law officers who happen to be corrupt. Their corruption creates questionable decisions, relationships, secrets, and conflicts of interest, but they are not systematically weaponizing their badge for serious criminal activity.

Major Corruption — Staff Ticket & Approval Required

Major corruption occurs when the character begins using the authority, information, protection, or mechanical privileges of being law to substantially enable serious crime or operate as part of a criminal enterprise.

Examples of Major Corruption:

• Being secretly employed by or effectively serving a criminal organization.

• Acting as a regular informant for a gang or criminal organization.

• Providing criminals with confidential information about planned raids, warrants, investigations, witnesses, or law operations.

• Deliberately sabotaging major investigations.

• Destroying, planting, falsifying, concealing, or materially altering significant evidence.

• Falsifying official reports to protect criminals or implicate innocent people.

• Giving criminals confiscated weapons, contraband, evidence, or other seized property.

• Regularly taking substantial payments in exchange for protection.

• Helping criminals commit robberies, murders, kidnappings, or other serious violent crimes.

• Feeding criminals the identities of witnesses or informants so they can threaten or kill them.

• Manipulating wanted records, warrants, charges, or investigations to protect an organization.

• Using access to law information to give one criminal organization a major strategic advantage over another.
  
  Minor corruption compromises the character. Major corruption compromises the institution.
  
  

Any corruption that involves large-scale bribes, evidence tampering, false arrests, and assistance of violent crimes and similarly must be approved OOC by staff.

If you ticket staff to undertake a Major Corruption Arc, you are voluntarily opting into a high-risk character arc. Due to being permitted to use a powerful server position to facilitate serious crime, exposure needs to carry proportionately serious consequences. Therefore, these consequences are as follows: removal from law, imprisonment, or - under defined circumstances - a staff-approved character kill.

Failure & Consequences

Law enforcement is not expected to succeed in every situation. Criminals may escape, investigations may stall, witnesses may lie, and operations may fail. These failures are not inherently negative outcomes. Long-term roleplay often develops more naturally through setbacks, mistakes, and unresolved conflict than through constant successful enforcement.

Law vs Law Conflict

Conflict is always encouraged between characters, regardless of what faction they are in. However, internal conflict must remain grounded, especially in a scenario of Law VS Law. Powergaming or OOC targeting disguised as “investigation” is prohibited. Corrupt officers should expect scrutiny from peers. Allow for RP to develop between both sides, especially because Law VS Law is an internal conflict within the law department. Remember that it’s roleplay and it’s meant to be fun!

Patrol Procedures

Law is expected to patrol around Fairmont to ensure the safety of its citizens. Law should actively contribute to the living world and be a force that civilians can rely upon for safety.

While on patrol:

• Maintain visible law presence

• Engage civilians casually

• Investigate suspicious activity

  
  

Responding To & Investigating Crime

Law will receive alerts IC when suspicious activity is present. When responding to the suspicious activity, law is expected to assess the danger, gather information, and attempt communication while escalating the matter within reason. The law is expected to thoroughly investigate crimes when reported. As such, law enforcement is required to interview witnesses, collect details, track clues, and build long-term cases for other officers and criminals to pursue. Avoid rushing to conclusions, forced confessions, or unrealistic deductions. It is important to stay grounded in your investigation.

Courtroom Etiquette

Court exists for storytelling. While Fairmont is a territory, there are certain expectations for courtroom RP. Judges, deputies, and lawyers should remain professional, allow testimony, and create immersive legal RP. Court should add a meaningful progression in everyone’s story and feel slow burn. Courtroom RP should prioritize testimony, evidence, and character interaction over rapid guilty verdicts.

Law Downtime

Sometimes, as a law character, you may not always be sent into action. There will be a lot of downtime for you, giving you space and time to do more than just chase criminals. Part of the law's job is to establish a presence, whether through enforcement or by giving civilians a sense of safety; it is important that the law is visible to the public. It is encouraged for law to help civilians, attend events, escort transports, assist with paperwork, and even participate in IC politics and establish public trust. Law should feel dynamic and be more than just cops and robbers; they should be a pillar of the community meant to help the community.

Rank Structure & Duties

Law within Fairmont operates as a unified territorial department rather than separate county agencies. While sheriffs may oversee particular regions and towns, all lawmen ultimately serve under the same territorial structure and authority.

This system exists to encourage cooperation between regions and maintain consistency across the Territory of Fairmont.

Chief Marshal

The Chief Marshal serves as the highest active law authority within the Territory of Fairmont and oversees the law department in its entirety. While sheriffs manage day-to-day regional operations, the Chief Marshal ensures that all law enforcement across Fairmont remains unified, professional, and aligned with the philosophy of the department.

The role of the Chief Marshal is primarily administrative, investigative, and supervisory rather than front-line enforcement. The Chief Marshal is expected to guide the long-term direction of law roleplay across the territory and ensure consistency between all regions and departments.

Responsibilities

• Oversees all territorial law operations

• Appoints and removes Sheriffs, Deputies, and Junior Deputes

• Maintains departmental standards, policy, and SOP

• Oversees major investigations and territorial threats

• Handles internal disputes and disciplinary matters

• Coordinates communication between regions

• Ensures law roleplay remains healthy, fair, and story-focused

• Reviews corruption concerns and internal investigations

• Supports long-term narrative development for law RP

• Writes handbills for wanted criminals, dead or alive (bounties)

The Chief Marshal should not operate as an untouchable authority figure or constant combat presence. The role exists to guide the department, facilitate roleplay, and maintain the integrity of the law system across Fairmont.

Detective

A detective's role is to conduct investigations and to present them to the appropriate Sheriff's Office (town) depending on where the investigation is being done. A detective does not have the authority to conduct any arrests. Their job is to build cases and then present them to the appropriate Office or to the Chief Marshal.

Sheriff

Sheriffs are the leading law officers of their assigned region and are responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of law within their stationed town. Sheriffs act as field leaders, investigators, mentors, and organizers for their deputies.

A Sheriff’s duty is not only to enforce the law, but to maintain roleplay quality, community presence, and professionalism within their region. Sheriffs are expected to lead by example both ICly and OOCly.

Responsibilities

• Oversees law activity within their assigned region

• Supervises deputies and junior deputies

• Organizes patrols, investigations, and operations

• Responds to major incidents and escalating conflicts

• Mentors lower-ranking officers

• Maintains professionalism and departmental standards

• Coordinates with neighboring regions and Marshals

• Assists with investigations, warrants, and court preparation

• Helps facilitate story-driven law roleplay

Sheriffs should strive to create meaningful interactions with civilians and criminals alike. Their role is leadership and guidance, not domination over scenes.

Undersheriff

The Undersheriff has the same responsibilities as the Sheriff and assists in overseeing the Deputies. In the absence of the Sheriff, the Undersheriff takes on the responsibilities of the Sheriff and is stationed in a town where their responsibilities lie.

Deputy

Deputies form the backbone of Fairmont law enforcement and are responsible for the majority of patrol work, investigations, arrests, and civilian interaction throughout the territory.

Deputies are expected to actively contribute to the living world of Fairmont by engaging with civilians, responding to crimes, conducting investigations, and supporting long-term storylines. Deputies should prioritize communication, escalation, and immersive roleplay over force.

Responsibilities

• Patrol towns, roads, and wilderness areas

• Respond to criminal activity and public disturbances

• Conduct investigations and gather evidence

• Perform arrests, searches, and prisoner transport

• Assist civilians and maintain public safety

• Write reports and maintain records

• Participate in court proceedings when necessary

• Support fellow law officers during operations

Deputies are expected to understand and follow departmental SOP, escalation standards, and RP etiquette at all times.

Junior Deputy

Junior Deputies are probationary law officers currently undergoing training and evaluation. Their purpose is to learn the standards, expectations, and procedures of Fairmont law enforcement before becoming full Deputies. A Junior Deputy undergoes training for 14 days.

The role of a Junior Deputy is heavily focused on learning, observation, and gradual responsibility. Junior Deputies are expected to shadow senior officers and develop confidence through active participation in roleplay.

Responsibilities

• Learn departmental SOP and penal code procedures

• Shadow Deputies and Sheriffs during patrols

• Assist with arrests, investigations, and transport

• Learn escalation, negotiation, and report writing

• Observe courtroom and interrogation procedures

• Build confidence in civilian interaction and conflict RP

• Demonstrate professionalism and maturity

Junior Deputies should not lead major operations or investigations without supervision unless specifically authorized by a Sheriff or senior officer. Their role is to learn the culture and expectations of law roleplay within Fairmont.